I hereby dedicate this chapter to everyone who hates anything to do with dishwashing.

To Wingelby fans, this chapter is also a gift to you.

Or a curse.

Opinions may differ.


"Typical American. Too many movies."

-Natalya Raven, Interception Point


"WHAT?"

"Oh, don't be like that, it's only a little basinful." Professor Pike hummed cheerfully as he scrubbed the first of hundreds of dishes, the suds merrily filling the tub.

The dozen or so students looked on in disbelief.

The small one near the front piped up again. "LITTLE?"

The aforementioned tub was relatively big enough to be a wading pool for the average baby elephant.

"It's not so bad if you whistle while you work! This is a much better detention then, say, doing lines!"

"I'd prefer the lines," another kid muttered.

Someone demanded, "Why don't we have a robot polish these dishes?"

Pike looked slightly embarrassed. "Well, I don't quite have all the bugs worked out… it broke a few dozen porcelain dishes and Dr Nero didn't want to break anymore GLOVE property… not that we couldn't afford to buy more, oh no, we have MORE than enough, but…well…it doesn't look very good when a dishwasher robot breaks dishes."

"What about a normal dishwasher?"

"Dr Nero wants you to spend your detention like this. It's his decision. Please don't ask me anymore."

He promptly launched back into "Whistle While You Work", which the students recognized from one of their first Classic Mistakes To Avoid class, which was mandatory to all students, though what exactly they were to get out of watching a Disney movie remained a mystery.

Eventually, the students gave in, one by one taking up a sponge or cloth.

They were still diligently scrubbing when Ms Leon came in for a peak, having followed the trail of bubbles with a typical cat's curiosity.

"Ugh. Lemon soap," she growled disdainfully, exiting the room with a flick of a fluffy tail.


The complete and utter silence that filled the cavern rang for almost a full minute, during which time Shelby fiercely held Wing's gaze. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Well?" she demanded.

Wing broke eye contact for the briefest of moments before regaining it, steadily holding it as he whispered, "Yes."

Thunderstruck. That's the only word that she could use to describe herself.

"Um… uh…" Mentally, Shelby swore. What a lovely time to loose her speech functions.

Wing looked away. "It's always been you."

That got her voice back. "Oh, Wing, you hopeless romantic."

He bit his lip. "Hopeless…?"

Shelby's face broke into a huge, genuine smile. "Felt like saying it. Of course not. Come with me to the dance, will ya?"

And, going up on tiptoe to brush her lips against his, she snatched up her grapplers and grapplered away, leaving a rather dazed— but very happy— Wing.


"Otto? Otto!"

The boy in question was jolted to his senses. "Wha—"

Annie was pointing to the computer monitor they were sharing. "What's up? You don't look well."

"I'm fine."

"Good. So, there's an error message here… Are you absolutely sure you sorted out all the bugs?"

It took him awhile to absorb the flashing window. "Oh. Uh, I'm pretty sure I did… Can you fix it?"

"Duh. But I'm surprised to find this bug. I mean, you're practically inviting a virus into this software…"

The rest of her chatter faded from his hearing. He could only vaguely hear the tapping of the keyboard, interrupted every so often as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. They'd come here to work on some of her projects before dinner, but Otto's mind was anywhere but the software…

…because several work stations away, a thoroughly furious looking Alpha was attacking the keyboard as though it had done her some serious insult. She hardly bothered with her own hair, impatiently flicking away a short pigtail every time it got in the way. He'd watched her do that simple action so many times. At least he used to, before—

"Dude! Earth to Otto!"

Otto turned back to Annie with an amused expression. "Since when did I become 'dude'?"

"Two seconds ago. Watcha staring at?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing…"

Her eyes narrowed as she craned her neck to see over him in the other girl's direction. "Oi, Brand! What are you doing here?"

Laura looked up from her monitor. "What?"

"I said,what are you doing here?"

The redhead looked offended. "Don't I have as much right to be here as you?"

"Yeah, but if you're here to steal our ideas—"

"I'm not," Laura responded stiffly. "I'm just… coding. And decoding."

"Why the heck would you be doing that?"

"It's… relaxing."

Annie rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

Otto knew all too well what Laura meant. Coding and decoding were like Zen to her, a way to escape when she was feeling stressed or… whatever negative feeling. He wondered what exactly was bothering her. She'd been very odd around him lately. He didn't want her to be upset, but he never seemed to get a moment to ask her.

She seemed almost… evasive.

It made him a little regretful, because they used to be really, really close.

Oh, man. This stuff was giving him a headache…


"NIGEL!"

"YES, SIR!"

"STATUS REEE-PORT!"

"WHY ARE WE SCREAMING, SIR?"

"I dunno," said Franz, with a more appropriate volume. "But please be telling me. What did you accomplish while I was being occupied?"

Nigel smirked. "You mean, your mouth was occupied."

"Yes. It was. I was doing recruiting."

"Of, course, sir." Nigel dripped with sarcasm, which Franz failed to catch.

"You can stop calling me 'sir'."

"Oh, good. That was getting tiring. Anyways, Agent Key made a mess, which I had to fix. Your lieutenant and officers were preoccupied, but I managed."

"Good. And where is Key?"

"Abandoned ship. Well, actually, she abandoned the island on a little boat, but—"

"So she will not mess things up again, ja?"

"Affirmative."

There was a silence as Franz took this in.

"So… can I stop speaking all military-like?" Nigel asked hesitantly.

"I suppose so."

"Phew."

"Do you have a date?"

This change of topic was so abrupt, Nigel didn't catch it. "What?"

"Do you have a date for the dance? It's in less than a week, you are knowing."

Nigel was honestly surprised that it was so close. "Really? Well, I don't. And I don't want one."

"Ah," Franz said wisely. "So you are going single and then taking your pick? Good idea."

"Actually, no. I'm gonna stay a bachelor for as long as I can help."

Suddenly, a thought seemed to strike Franz like a lightning bolt. "Oh my chocolate! What are we all going to wear! This—" he plucked at his uniform "—will simply not do!"

And with that, he rushed out of the room.

Nigel sighed. Who knew it'd be a male who made the first fuss about clothes?

The Darkdoom had known it was coming, but he'd been waiting to see who'd freak out first. He'd expected it to be Shelby.

Not Franz.


At precisely the same moment, Dr Nero realized the same thing, and could immediately feel a major headache coming on, possibly a migraine. "Oh, dear…"

He reached for his blackbox. Pike could deal with it.

Nero didn't know that Shelby had gotten to the professor first, and was just then bursting through the door of the lab…


I can't comment, or I'd take up a few thousand words.

Press that little "review" button, and make my week.

Press that little "review" button, and make me write faster, so I can update and spread mental ribbons and frills and chocolate and grapplers and everything else you might find on a prom outfit…

Actually, I think everything but the grapplers would make me retch.

Yeah, even the chocolate, if overdosed.

Sue me.

:)pidge